Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Crispy Flounder (or any fish) with Parsley and Lemon

I'm not going to lie to you and tell you that I took this picture. I did not. My husband went bay fishing while I was perusing through Italy and brought back a wonderfully sized flounder. We enjoyed the company of a friend and while sipping white wine, threw the fish on the grill along with fresh produce from the Dallas Farmers Market. Zucchini sliced lengthwise along with Jerusalem artichokes, boiled first then sliced lengthwise then tossed in some olive oil I had purchased in Italy with some course sea salt. All on the grill.

The meal turned out wonderfully however the fish did not come out "picture perfect". My husband did a fabulous job grilling and the fish was wonderfully seasoned along with the olive oil, lemons and parsley. However, he undressed my fish from it's skin so much it became somewhat of a mess. As the saying goes, according to my husband, "it's not how you grill, but how good you look doing it." He does look good, which was his saving grace and the fish tasted amazing.

That being said, this recipe can be done under the broiler or on the grill, with any fish (skin on) you prefer. A great way to enjoy the summer, either way.

2, 10 ½oz whole trout, scaled, cleaned and gutted

Olive oil for drizzling

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Large bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked and chopped

2 lemons, 1 zested and sliced, 1 halved

Few pinches of unsalted butter

Preheat your broiler to the maximum. Slash each fish with a knife, about ten times on each side. Each slash should be about ¼ inch deep. Rub the trout with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Stuff the cavities with plenty of chopped parsley and the lemon slices. Place the fish side by side on a baking rack over a roasting pan.

Put the lemon zest on top of the fish and place the lemon halves on the tray too. Dot the trout with the butter and place it 6 inches from the heat. Cook for around 6 minutes on each side until crispy and golden.

Squeeze the roasted lemon over the top of the fish, drizzle the olive oil over and serve.